Enforcement and Rehabilitation: A Balanced Response to Serious Organised Crime

The recent events in Middlesbrough have put a media spotlight on Serious Organised Crime (SOC). The tragic death of two police officers and five young men in a Road Traffic Collision led to a spate of arrests and unrest in the Middlesbrough area linked to Serious Organised Crime. But is… Moving beyond enforcement and disruption to support change in the people and communities affected by and involved in organised crime. By Aimee Howard...

Reflections on working with interpreters in trauma-informed practice

Rose Okoye is a Therapeutic Practitioner at The For Baby’s Sake Trust, where she has worked for over nine years. She began her journey as a Programme Officer, a role that provided her with valuable experience working with children affected by domestic abuse. Her academic background includes an undergraduate degree… By Rose Okoye and Hannah Davies...

Prisons will still function under plans to turn laundries into cells, Justice Secretary claims

He declined to confirm Tory claims that there are 700 fewer prison places than a year ago, noting that the estate “fluctuates” because of issues such as fire damage. Mr Norris was touring broadcast studios on Tuesday ahead of announcing in Parliament that the Government will speed up the building… Alex Norris, the Justice Secretary, said “hundreds of places” would be created by converting existing spaces inside prisons - like laundries - into accommodation....

'We are setting prisoners up to fail... they are placed in inappropriate homes after their release'

The number, according to a Guardian investigation in May, is the highest figure since records began in 2021, with many in the sector describing how releasing inmates back into society without accommodation was a main driver behind the deaths. Analysis also noted that reports from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman… New data has shown that in 2025, 77 people died within 14 days of being released from prison in England and Wales, which was a 28 percent increase on the previous 12 months....

Prison service 'now in crisis' as system is 'understaffed, underinvested in and overwhelmed'

The subject has become the centrepoint of criminal justice discussion after it emerged two people who killed Thames Valley Police’s PC Andrew Harper – Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers – were set to be released early. Cole and Bowers remain eligible for early release after their convictions for manslaughter a… Nick Smart, the president of the Police Superintendents' Association (PSA) has joined the growing number of voices to criticise the Government's early release scheme. ...

The quiet skill at the heart of domestic abuse work

Some of the most important work in domestic abuse happens quietly, away from the headlines. It is done by case managers, and it deserves far more recognition than it gets. Having spent my career in criminal justice, I have watched skilled case management transform outcomes in some of the most… Here, Jonathan Hussey, the Managing Director of Red Snapper Managed Services, reflects on the key skills needed to support domestic abuse work....

Probation service launches new recruitment drive to secure next generation of officers

Trainees complete the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) over 15, 21 or 27 months, depending on existing qualifications. Probation officers supervise people on probation, manage risk and support rehabilitation. They work across the justice system to tackle the root causes of reoffending, including substance misuse, housing instability and unemployment. The… The Government is recruiting an additional 1,300 trainee Probation Officers across 2026/27, on top of the 2,300 already pledged to be brought in since 2024. ...

Beyond Time Served: The Impact of Short Sentences on Women

Approximately 44% of women reoffend within a year of leaving prison. For those serving sentences of less than 12 months, that figure rises to around 72%. These statistics alone make for sobering reading, but the macabre deepens when we consider what these numbers represent in human terms. A short custodial… by Gemma Waller...

What I’ve learned in my first year embedding For Baby’s Sake across the North East of England

Brooke Fenwick qualified as a social worker in 2013 and has extensive experience supporting families across a range of children’s services. Her career has included work in safeguarding, supporting children in care, and managing edge-of-care intensive support and family group conference services. Brooke has also worked directly with young people… by Brooke Fenwick...

AI court errors would be ‘too much for society to comprehend’

Mr Lammy was speaking after announcing that virtual legal assistants powered by AI will be rolled out to crown courts across the country in an effort to tackle the rising backlog of cases. The assistants will be trialled in controlled environments before being used by judges and lawyers, the Ministry… That's the view of Justice Secretary David Lammy, who said there are teams within Government working to make sure the effects of so-called AI hallucinations “are not overly significant”....